solar panels

Liberty__Belle

I have an enquiry about solar panels.

I understand the light will usually heat the water to 30 begrees. But this is not hot enough to have a shower. So I am assuming the water will be heated from 30-50 or 60 degrees using electricity or some other source.

So taking this into accout and bearing in mind solar panels need to be replaced after 10 years, are they really an energy saver?

alfunia

On a cloudy day from October to March approx you would expect to get up to 20 degrees. On a bright sunny day 30 degrees plus can be expected. You will more than likely have your heating on during these days so the water in your cylinder will be brought up to 60 degrees approximately so you won't be depending on the solar for your hot water during these months. Yes they will make a contribution and reduce some of the work your boiler will have to do. Where solar panels or solar tubes justify themselves is from the months of March through to September/October. Once a few fine days start to appear from March onwards you will be able to turn off your heating system and your Solar will provide you with sufficient hot water for all your baths/ shower etc, etc. Presuming of course that it is sized right, facing the right direction and installed correctly.

bbam

Ye guys are seriously underestimating the heating of the water..
We have 5.5Sq Meters of flat panel, faces WSW.

For 8-9 months of the year it provides all the hot water for the house, and probably half supplies for the rest of the year.. You'd be scalded in the shower.. I think 52 degrees it was when me and the brother checked three weeks ago, measured at the bottom of the tank, no great day, large 6ft tank.

I've seen the unit running during Christmas week.

Payback is a different thing... I'm estimating 4-5 years but its hard to be accurate. It would probably be less if I factored in the fact that the heating runs less, the tank is always hot so the heat gets straight to the radiators rather than heating the tank first..

I really thought it was a luxury spend when we were building but it has far exceeded my expectations..

muffler

Moved to R. E. forum

quentingargan

Agree with both comments above, but also to add that there is no requirement to change the panels after 10 years. Some vacuum tube systems will need their tubes replaced after about 15 to 20 years. Some of the generic Chinese ones are incredibly cheap to replace, others more expensive. Flat plates should last about 40 years.

2010vwpassat

Solar panels DO NOT need to be replaced after 10 years, some use an anti-freeze, this needs to be replaced when it begins to break down, reports say this can happen between 3 to 5 years, some say longer. Another type is called a Drain Back System which doesn't use anti-freeze (this i have but will stop working when snow on panels unlike ones with anti-freeze, next time i will if i move i will get anti-freeze panels).
Solar panels in winter will heat your water between 20 to 40 degrees on an average day, if sunny in winter it can be as high as 55+ degrees, during summer your panels can heat the water up to 85 degress, onlt during winter will you need to boost your hot water but think of the energy you are already saving, you use the most energy heating water from 0 to 5 degrees, energy use declines as the temperature rises so imagine the amount of energy your saving when your water is 20 or higher.